Newsletter 66 July 05
Contents
Malpractice Filings Against Health Care Providers, Jan 2001 – May 2005
New Legislation has Positive Impact on Public Health
Message from the Alliance President
Clark County Health District Disease Statistics – May 2005
Heroes
(
By Courtney Payne
During the past
four years, there have been many opportunities for heroes to emerge. The
What kind of person is a hero? Being a hero is not simply surviving daily challenges and adversities. It is going beyond survival, building on life's challenges to emerge tougher and more capable because of them. There are real heroes right here in this audience. A true hero sparks our recognition of the hero within ourselves.
So, who are the heroes today? To find today's heroes, you need to look no further than the people around you. They are our family and friends, our neighbors and teachers, people whose heroic qualities we tend to miss.
My hero is my mother. She is a doctor and treats mainly terminally ill patients, facing the final struggles with cancer's victims - and all of the frustrating stages they face. Her endeavors to make each of her patient's brief remaining time special inspire me. The satisfaction that she has made a difference in someone's life is what is important to her. She is not just my mother; she is the reason I am standing here speaking today as a valedictorian. I hope that in the future, I can be the difference to someone just like she is.
As we stand at the edge of our childhood looking out over our futures we must decide who the heroes of our generation will be. They are sitting in this room today. Any one of us has the potential to make that difference in someone's life, just as so many others have made a difference in ours. Mahatma Gandhi once said, "You must be the change you want to see in the world." In our generation, we can be that change.
That is our challenge today: we can be that change.
Dean Heller Bio
By Michael P.
Colletti, MD
Prior to the November 2004 election, the trial attorneys and the Supreme Court attempted to have Question #3 removed from the ballot. Secretary of State Dean Heller did not yield to pressure from the trial attorneys or the Supreme Court, even though he was threatened with incarceration. Secretary of State Heller is now running for the United States House of Representatives and I encourage you to support him.
Biography
Dean Heller
was first elected Secretary of State in 1994, and re-elected in 1998 and
2002. He previously served
Secretary
of State Heller is the third highest-ranking constitutional officer in
Dean was a
Founding Board Member of the Boys and Girls Club of Western Nevada and the
Western Nevada Community College Foundation.
He is an Advisory Board Member for
After
graduating from
Dean enjoys
stockcar racing, competing in several races a year throughout
President’s Message
By Ron Kline, MD, 2005-2006
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
It is with
honor and humility that I begin my term as
I have
chosen my first column to sketch out some broad outlines of how I hope to
improve our medical society over the coming year. First and foremost, we must continue to build
upon the political activism and power of the physician community that shocked
so many political professionals this last November. The days of "just taking care of our
patients" are long gone. Managed
care and the political process have a tremendous impact on our lives and our
patient's lives: We must be politically
strong and wise to protect us both. Some
physicians think that now that Questions 3, 4 and 5 are won, the battle is over
and we can return to our "plowshares." Nothing could be further from the truth! Question 3 still needs to be upheld by an
elected and highly political Nevada Supreme Court, so the Supreme Court races
in 2006 will be particularly important.
Furthermore, Question 3 only prevents the legislature from altering the
legislation until the next legislative session.
Come the 2007 session, it is open season on malpractice reforms yet
again (although they may not take effect until
Whining in
the doctor's lounge without doing anything about it is for "Losers,"
both literally and figuratively. We must
build alliances with those who share our views; this includes hospitals and the
business community. We will not always
be on the same side of every battle, but we will be on the same side in
many. One way to do this is through our
work with the Southern Nevada Medical Industry Coalition (SNMIC) of which we
were a founding member, and one in which
We, as a
society, also need to increase the benefits of membership. Currently, only 30% of licensed physicians in
It is not
just a cliché to say that
Clark County District Court Medical
Malpractice Filings Against Health Care
Providers, Jan 2001 – May 2005
2001 2002 2003
2004 2005
Jan 39 33 108 61 41
Feb 20 14 98 72 63
Mar 35 30 169 123 64
Apr 37 34 111 81 70
May 37 35 126 65 14
Jun 27 24 103 90
Aug 54 51 76 67
Oct 37 83 110 59
Nov 38 184 59 78
Sum
372 823 1246
867
Medicare RX Drug Coverage
By Mark McClellan, MD, PhD
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is in the process of implementing the Medicare prescription drug coverage. All Medicare beneficiaries-no matter how they get their health care today or whether they have existing drug coverage - will be eligible for drug coverage under a Medicare prescription drug plan. These plans will cover both brand name and generic drugs. And, very importantly, there will be extra help for those in need, which is why I am writing this message to you today.
We are committed to making sure that everyone who qualifies for that extra help gets it. Almost eight million people will automatically qualify for extra help. Beginning in late May through June, people with Medicare and Medicaid, people in a Medicare Savings Program, and those who receive Supplemental Security Income will receive a letter from Medicare telling them they will receive the extra help automatically so they do not have to apply. The notices may be viewed at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/medicarereform/lir.asp. If you or a loved one receives this letter please be assured that this means you or they will have continuous prescription drug coverage with small out of pocket costs. Additionally, there is extra help for people who do not automatically qualify but who do have limited income and resources. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is working with CMS to help these people apply for this extra help and get pre-qualified for this assistance before the enrollment period for the prescription drug coverage plans begin in the Fall. Social Security will be mailing a letter and an application to almost 19 million people beginning in late May and the mailings will continue through August. We encourage everyone who receives this letter and application to fill out this application so they can get the extra help from Medicare to pay for their prescription drug coverage. This letter can be viewed at http://www.ssa.gov/organizations/medicareoutreach2/ on the web. Select "Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs.
We're committed to making sure that everyone who qualifies for extra help gets it. Medicare and Social Security will be conducting thousands of community outreach events in the next six months to let people know about this important and significant extra assistance for drug coverage. We are working closely with hundreds of organizations, community groups and thousands of volunteers to help those who qualify for extra assistance both know about it and apply. This is a nationwide grassroots effort, which will be successful because of the commitment of both national and local organizations. This effort must be successful - we must insure that those who qualify for the extra help complete the application so in November they can enroll in a prescription drug plan that meets their needs.
Please join us in this grassroots effort - we need your assistance in spreading the word about the extra help, which will be available to help those in need pay for the new and comprehensive Medicare prescription drug coverage. Please pass this notice and information on to other organizations, which would share our commitment to making this program successful and helping millions of Americans cover the costs of their prescription drugs. Our goal is to make sure that all who might be eligible for extra assistance fill out an application-getting extra help to pay for comprehensive prescription drug coverage will help improve the quality of life and health for millions of Americans and I hope you can join us in this effort.
I ask for your help to make this important part of the implementation of the new drug coverage a success.
New Medical Student Members – May 2005
- Charisma
J Eugenio –
- Gladys
Ho –
- Javiad M Khan –
Applicants To Go Before Credentialing Committee
If you have any pertinent information about the following membership candidates, please contact:
- Waldo C Feng, MD – Pediatric Urology
- James C Plaire, MD – Pediatric Urology
- Scott L Selco, MD - Neurology
- Michael J Wile, MD – Anatomic/Clinical Pathology
- Christian Yi, MD – Diagnostic Radiology
For information on becoming a
member of the Clark County Medical Society, call
HealthInsight Info
Helping Physicians Adopt and Use It for Better Care
President
Bush's goal of computerizing the nation's health care records by 2010 is an
audacious goal that will take time and money. Regardless of these challenges,
more and more physicians are moving toward using Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) to improve the quality and efficiency of care.
Fortunately, there are free resources available to help
This year, HealthInsight, the Medicare Quality
Improvement Organization for
HealthInsight will encourage adoption of HIT by helping physicians learn about the advantages of using EMRs for managing and improving care, in addition to helping physician practices assess their readiness to adopt HIT systems and offer guidance on the costs and benefits of selecting a system. HealthInsight will also help physician offices evaluate and redesign office workflow to effectively use EMRs and other HIT to improve efficiency, quality, and patient safety.
Recent evidence suggests that EMRs provide a positive return on investment. Previously, this statement was questionable, however, the combination of better systems and lower prices is yielding positive returns. Until recently, a practice could expect to spend $15,000 - $25,000 per physician for an EMR with full functionality. However, as competition has heated up over the last few months, many of the more prominent EMR companies have reduced their prices in an effort to gain market share.
HIT systems can also help physicians collect data to analyze the overall quality of care delivered by their practices. For example, data on how often physicians use recommended practices for the treatment of common chronic conditions or provide preventive services can be an invaluable guide to improving care. HealthInsight will assist physicians in using this data to improve processes of care by implementing care management that incorporates planning, assessment, coordination, evaluation of treatment options, and monitoring of care.
Assistance to physicians will complement HealthInsight's work with hospitals to support adoption and use of computerized physician order entry, bar coding, and telehealth technologies with the goal of improving readiness and/or use of IT.
HealthInsight has been working with the
federal Medicare program for over 16 years in
For information on how HealthInsight can assist physicians, contact Kevin Kennedy at kkennedy@healthinsight.org or 702-385-9933.
This material was prepared by HealthInsight, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for
New Legislation has Positive Impact on Public Health
By Dr. Donald S. Kwalick, MD, MPH
Chief Health Officer
During the 2005 Legislature several pieces of legislation
were identified as having significant impact on public health issues in
Assembly Bill 380 was of particular interest to the health district as it proposed changes to the composition of the district board of health and the duties of the chief health officer. As originally introduced it would have been detrimental to the operations of the agency. However, the final bill is a significant departure from the original version. The new provisions include:
- The creation of a fund in the county treasury that may only be used to provide funding for the health district. The annual allocation is not to exceed an amount calculated by multiplying the assessed valuation of all taxable property in the county by the rate of 3.5 cents on each $100 of assessed valuation.
- Setting requirements to ensure the chief health officer be licensed to practice medicine, or osteopathic medicine, in the State, has a master's degree in public health, health care administration, public administration, business administration or a related field and has ten years of management experience in an administrative position in a local, state or national public health department, program, organization or agency.
- Revising the composition of the board of health to include two elected officials from the county and the largest city, one elected official from each of the remaining cities, five members appointed by the aforementioned elected members including two physicians, one nurse, one representative with a background in environmental health and one representative from a business or industry that is subject to regulation by the health district.
Under the original statute the current makeup of the board allows for each entity represented to have two members. As passed, the smaller cities will lose representation and the health district and board did oppose these changes. However, the new set-up does ensure the board will be representative of the community and the industries we regulate. Additionally, the new provisions will further ensure we have a steady source of financing and the leadership of the agency will continue to bring the necessary medical, public health and administrative experience to the job.
Two other bills of note are Senate Bill 120 and Assembly Bill 175. Senate Bill 120 was introduced to make various changes concerning programs for the treatment of trauma and the designation of hospitals as centers for the treatment of trauma in larger counties. The passage of the bill will allow local boards of health, in counties with a population of 400,000 or more, to establish programs for transporting, admitting and treating trauma. The bill would also require the county or district board of health in each county to establish standards for the designation of hospital as centers for the treatment of trauma and provides that the Administrator for the Health Division may not designate a hospital as a center for the treatment of trauma unless the proposal has been approved by the State Board of Health and the county or district board of health. Lastly, this bill prohibits the Administrator of the Health Division from designating a hospital as a center for trauma in larger counties unless the county or district board of health has established a comprehensive trauma system plan for the county.
Assembly Bill 175 makes appropriations for various
improvements to mental health services, mental health courts and community
triage centers. Appropriations identified in this bill must be used to increase
the number of mental health beds in
These three bills were crafted to positively impact upon
public health issues in
Message from the Alliance President
By Shanila Choudhury,
2005-06
As the school
year ends and parents are getting the kids ready for vacation, the
Next year the
For those of you
who may not have heard of the
I am proud to be the new president of the
Clark County Medical Society Alliance.
My Board and I are busy planning the upcoming year full of exciting
lunches and programs. Please check our
website which is
Minutes Synopsis
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MEETING
Tuesday,
Minutes Synopsis
The minutes for the
April meeting were approved unanimously.
Financial Report
Dr. Steinberg reported
Per the Bylaws, the annual dues fees were reviewed. After discussion, the dues were increased for
the upcoming year for active members to a total of $780, $390 each for NSMA and
Credentials Committee
Ms. Burns stated there were two reinstatements, William
Berliner, MD and Gregory Nielsen, MD.
There were three new medical student members; Charisma J. Eugenio, Gladys Ho, and Javaid Khah, all from the
Membership Report
Ms. Burns reported there were 742 dues paid members, which was an increase over the 692 last year at this time. There were 51 new members for the fiscal year and 20 reinstatements.
Kathie Slaughter and Marian Haas reported Shanila Choudhury was installed as the Alliance President at their most recent luncheon.
Health District
Report
Dr. Kwalick was unable to attend the meeting but sent a report addressing several Health District topics.
UNSOM Report
Dr. Lenhart initiated a discussion about
NSMA Report
Dr. Evins stated the Legislative Core group continues to
meet every Thursday evening at
AMA Report
Dr. Horne stated the AMA meeting will be held in June in
NSBME
Dr. Montoya reported the Nevada BME was ranked 46th in the
nation by Sidney Wolfe of Public Citizen based only on the number of medical
licenses revoked, not on actual data of licensure sanctions. He stated he had recently returned from the
Federation meeting and the issue of establishing competency testing will be
coming back in a year or two. Dr.
Montoya stated the BME has changed its policy on licensing questionable
physicians accepted to
President's Report
"Supporting the development of a
New Business
Dr. Havins announced that both Dr. Florence Jameson and Dr. John Nowins won the Harold Lee Feikes' MD Physician of the Year Award. There were no competing races for Board of Trustee and Officer races so the Nominating Committee's choices all won.
Future Meetings
The next meeting will be on
Adjournment
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned
at
Classifieds
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CME CALENDAR
CME CALENDAR
Bechtel
Pri-Med Institute
(877) 4PRI-MED
Southwest Medical Associates 242-7735
7/14 - “Infectious
Disease, Antibiotic Resistance: Prevention and Care in Long Term Care and
Nursing Facilities”
8/11 - “Pain Control
and Opioid Use”
7/6 “
UMC 383-2604
7/12 - “Urology News
for 2005”
7/26 - “Multiple
Sclerosis”
8/9 - “History and
Future of Osteopathy”
8/23 - “Dental
Emergencies Which Can Be Handled by the Office Physician
To have your CME
courses listed on our calendar, contact Dot Freel at
739-9989 prior to the 12th each month.
Only CME Activities held at the
Clark County Health District Disease Statistics* - May 2005
DISEASE
CASES REPORTED YEAR TO DATE
May 2004 May
2005 2004 2005
VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASES
DIPTHERIA 0 0 0 0
HAEMOPHILUS
INFLUENZA 0 3 2 10
HEPATITIS A 1 1 2 2
HEPATITIS B 8 4 26 10
INFLUENZA 2 9 53 118
MEASLES 0 0 0 0
MUMPS 0 0 0 0
PERTUSSIS 1 2 2 17
POLIOMYELITIS 0 0 0 0
RUBELLA 0 0 0 0
TETANUS 0 0 0 0
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
AIDS 15 22 129 112
CHLAMYDIA 81 512 1591 2434
GONORRHEA 45 212 835 1029
HIV 9 34 89 135
SYPHILIS
(Early Latent) 0 2 4 10
SYPHILIS
(Primary & Secondary)2 9 6 45
ENTERICS
AMEBIASIS 3 5 8
BOTULISM-INTESTINAL
0 0 0 0
CAMPYLOBACTERIOSIS 5 7 20 31
CHOLERA 0 0 0
CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS 0 1 4
E. COLI
O157:H7 1 1 4 8
GIARDIA 3 4 24 20
ROTAVIRUS 32 55 449 317
SALMONELLOSIS 14 11 45 50
SHIGELLOSIS 1 18 23
TYPHOID
FEVER 0 0 0 0
VIBRIO 0 1 0
YERSINIOSIS 0 0 0
OTHER
ANTHRAX 0 0 0
BOTULISM
INTOXICATION 0 0 0 0
BRUCELLOSIS 0 0 0
COCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS 4 5 23 31
ENCEPHALITIS 0 0 2
HANTAVIRUS 0 0 0
HEMOLYTIC
UREMIC 0 0 0
SYNDROME(HUS)
HEPATITIS C 0 2 0
HEPATITIS D 0 0 0
LEGIONELLOSIS 2 1 3 7
LEPROSY 0 1 0
LEPTOSPIROSIS 0 0 0 0
LISTERIOSIS 0 2 0
LYME
DISEASE 0 0 0 0
MALARIA 0 0 2 0
MENINGITIS,
ASEPTIC/VIRAL 6 6 20 22
MENINGITIS,
BACTERIAL 0 1 6 7
MENINGOCOCCAL
DISEASE 0 2 2 4
PLAGUE 0 0 0 0
PSITTACOSIS 0 0 0 0
Q FEVER 0 0 0 1
RABIES
(HUMAN) 0 0 0 0
RELAPSING
FEVER 0 0 0
ROCKY MTN
SPOTTED FEVER 0 0 0 0
RSV 14 50 1016 1218
TOXIC SHOCK
SYNDROME 0 0 1 1
TOXIC SHOCK
SYN 0 0 2 1
(STREPTOCOCCAL)
TUBERCULOSIS 2 9 28 32
TULAREMIA 0 0 0 0
UNUSUAL
ILLNESS 1 0 2 0
(ENCEPHALITIS)
*Numbers include confirmed and probable cases.
County
Line
Business Funding Solutions ….. 248-3016 ….. www.businessfundingsolutions.net
CB Richard Ellis…369-4800… www.cbre.com
Colonial Bank ….. 304-3770 ….. www.colonialbank.com
Consultants in Marketing….944-2464
DMSL Medical Management & Billing Service ….. 558-2326
Kennedy Commercial….838-2263….no website
Machabee Office Environments…260-0555… www.machabee.com
Mason Medical Management …..458-2455….. no website
Medical Group Management Association ….. 697-5471 ext. 134
Medical Liability Association of
Nevada Docs Support Association, Inc….878-4568
Nevada First Bank ….. 310-4000 ….. www.nevadafirstbank.com
Nevada Mutual Insurance Company ….. 798-6001 ….. www.nevadamutual.com
Protrans ….. 877-6333 ….. www.protranslv.com
Red Rock Medical Billing….942-4117
Red Rock Radiology ….. 731-2888 ….. www.redrockradiology.com
Saguaro Home Health…..248-6850…..no website